The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict: No Doubt

There is No Doubt by now you know about my passion and love of the 1990's and how much nostalgia I have with them. To me, it was the greatest era ever especially compared in the world we live in today.

We No Doubt had the greatest food, music, movies, toys, television and cartoons.

We also No Doubt had a music group known as No Doubt who had many big hits and catchy songs in the 90's such as Trapped In A Box, Spiderwebs and Just A Girl to name a few. I was intrigued by the group, the music and No Doubt the lead singer Gwen Stefani, that I followed them for a long time til Gwen decided to branch out on her own. Which didn't bode well for me as I didn't like any of her solo stuff. It was probably the 90's fan in me who only enjoyed listening to the group that I did back in the day.

As an adult, I have grabbed CD's of music from my past and had No Doubt that I would still enjoy it today. I originally had each CD that No Doubt put out but decided it was time just to condense it down to a Greatest Hits album so I can just have those songs I once listened to revisited again.

There were many great hits on here including some newer releases the group had in the 2000's.

However, one of the catchier tunes No Doubt for me was off from their released album from 1995 Tragic Kingdom in Don't Speak. I don't know what it was about the song, it was just one of those songs that got caught up in your head and you just sang it out.

Even though the song was supposedly about Gwen's breakup with a No Doubt band mate, the only breakup I was worried about at the time was my local grocery store no longer carrying one of my hobby first loves in 1995 Score Football. It was my go-to every time I went to the grocery store No Doubt!

One of my favorite things about Score besides the base card set that appeared to have a ripped bottom design, was No Doubt the Red Siege parallels. These parallels took the base set and added a red foil on it. Nothing too exciting, unless you were 12 like I was. The words Red Siege appeared on the back of the card in case the change of look on the front wasn't enough for you.

These parallels fell 1:3 packs and is a set, just like with the 1995 Summit Ground Zero, I am attempting to build. However, this one is a bit bigger with 275 cards in it.

Recently, @CardpocalypseNC helped me knock a few more down from my needs.

 

Aaron Glenn played cornerback in the NFL for 15 years and is currently the coach of that same position for the Saints.

 

Richmond Webb did an excellent job of blocking and protecting Dan Marino.

Charles Johnson played 9 seasons in the NFL.

 

Leslie O'Neal was a dominating defensive end who played in the NFL for 13 years mainly with the Chargers.

 

Andre Coleman played roughly four years in the NFL mainly as a kick returner. He has several Super Bowl records including a 98 yard kickoff return touchdown in the big game despite the Chargers dismantling in Super Bowl 39 by the 49ers.

I am wondering if you like the design yet?? No Doubt I am!

Warren Sapp was a beast on the field for the Buc's. If only he could have stayed on the field and not off where he got into trouble often.

  

Rashaan Salaam was the man you wanted to collect in 1995 coming into the NFL as the Heisman winner, the only problem, he didn't pan out and only lasted 4 years in the NFL. Sadly he is no longer with us as well as died three years ago.

The rookies looked even better and this was a time when college football was in an NFL product the right way. Not like it is done today. No Doubt 90's cards did everything right.

I currently have 13 of the 275 so I have quite the journey left on these. But, No Doubt I will try and complete it all. You can find my haves HERE in case you have any kicking around to trade or donate to my cause. No Doubt I would enjoy them!

While I have this CD out, I might as well listen to a few tracks. No Doubt it will take me back to the 90's and I won't mind that at all since I turned another year older yesterday.

The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict: Are You Toploader Worthy?

Yada , Yada, Yada,

It was 1995 and the start of the peak of my collecting. I had just learned more and more about sports and the players which transferred over to my love of collecting. I think that is the key for kids today to get into collecting. Get them to love a sport, show them the sport in trading cards of their favorite team and players and boom, you have a foundation.

That's exactly how mine was built.

It wasn't built on nothing. If that was the case I probably wouldn't be collecting as I needed that crossover to be interested. Seeing my favorite players on TV then being able to physically have them in hand on a piece of cardboard...sign me up!

The only one thing from the 90's  i can remember that was built on nothing was on TV and was a "show about nothing". That show, Seinfeld.

The show premise was an easy one. It featured the fictional life, though some events were based on real happenings, life of a stand up comic, Jerry, who lives in Manhattan's Upper West Side and features a variety of characters including his best friend George Costanza, former girlfriend Elaine Benes, and crazy neighbor Cosmo Kramer among some other unique personality run ins. The show didn't really have an ongoing premise from episode to episode as most were based off of daily adventures of life.

I watched many shows at the time, especially comedies, but I couldn't get why so many loved Seinfeld. That's until I became an adult.

At the time though, it was the most talked about comedy and was one of the highest rated TV shows overall between 1994-1998 which explains why in 1995 I heard so much about it. Even teachers at school would talk to their students about the previous nights episode. They would quote it. They would break it down. They would act out George's crazy antics or enter the room like Kramer entered Jerry's apartment. No kidding on this either especially my math teacher Mrs. Corliss. She was madly in love with the show and knew my dislike of it and always tried her best to get me to like it.


"No A For You!"

But, as I said, I grew to liking the show just how I grew to appreciate more things from the 90's. Things that I missed out on or didn't like I feel the opposite about now. Things that I enjoyed and loved are twice as loved now.

One of those things I started to really appreciate more, 1995 Summit Ground Zero Parallels. The parallels fell 1:7 packs in 1995 Summit football which I bought a ton of at the grocery store in my youth. I have also busted a box as an adult as well. There are 200 cards in the parallel set overall and thanks to @CardpocalypseNC I was able to knock a few more down. I guess you can say he "took em out".

Hello Rodney

Looking at shiny cards is like looking at the sun. You don't stare at them. They are too shiny. Ya get a sense of the shine and then you look away

I think if Elaine had collected this parallel set, she may have asked herself if they were "Toploader worthy." At one point I did have mine in toploaders back in 1995, but as the values dropped over the years, they moved into a binder where I think they look better showcased that way.

I still have such a long ways to go with this set with only have 11 cards towards it, which I think I lost some over the years, but I will try my best to get it done. I guess you can say my set went into the pool since 1995, there was some shrinkage! And if you have any kicking around or spot any at card show and Can Spare Me A Square, we can talk about a trade or you can always donate :) I would appreciate either. The link to my needs is HERE.

Serenity Now!

Now that the show has grown on me as an adult and with so many revival of shows coming from the 90's recently, one of the latest is the Mad About You revival, I would enjoy to see this one come back to life. Especially since the show ended so terrible they gotta do better than that for a finale. I guarantee that fans old and new would tune in.

Today, while the rest of you will be chasing the big hits from 2018 and 2019, I will be looking at, sorting and enjoying 90's cards and having a Festivus for the rest of us!